Sen.Bennet TODAY."THE MORE INFORMED PEOPLE BECOME ON Y2K THE MORE FRIGHTENED THEY BECOME"

Today, in Y2K committee meeting Sen. Bennett said "I have found in my two years on working on this (Y2K) issue that the more informed people become about Y2K the more frightened they become." He went on to tell how he and Koskinen meet more than weekly both of them "agonizing " about what and how to tell the people to prepare and not panic them..

I agree with Bennett, Rob. The more I hear, the more frightened I
get, the more supplies I stash away, the more secure I feel. I've
gone from about a 3 to close to an 8 since I started researching the
problem last July. (I was no more than a 4.5 when I hung around the
North forums--and you know there ain't too many pollyannas over
there!) However, the hoi polloi are going to have to hear about this
sooner or later, and sooner is far preferable to later. I still think
They, the powers-that-be, are trying to get as many ducks in a row as
they can before they begin to reveal the true picture of Y2k.

I've been wondering lately if Bennett is very cleverly wording
his remarks so that those of us who will act responsibly will read
between the very wide lines and do what we can and must, whilst those
who cannot or will not act responsibly will be left to the last. This
pool of people consists of those who aren't able or willing to help
themselves and will put up with waiting in long lines for bread and
soup. Well, some of them will create a fuss but you know there'll be
NG troops to keep order at the soup kitchens and evac shelters.

Just saw Senator Bennett on c-span (panel was on international y2k) ..... will air again at 1:45 AM MT....He admitted his dilemma was awareness vs panic. United Kingdom doing a good job of making its people aware. USA ?

"He went on to tell how he and Koskinen meet more than weekly both of
them "agonizing " about what and how to tell the people to
prepare and not panic them...."

This is pathetic. They constantly contradict themselves; feed false
information to the press; go back and contradict what they just
contradicted in the press; and now we find out how much they're
"agonizing" over how to tell people? Just WHEN are they planning to
tell all? December 31, 1999?

For reports, follow Diane's links (you already know that is
always a good first step; I'm just reminding you). Those
links will get you at least to Barbara Williams-Bridgers'
testimony and to Lawrence Gershwin's testimony, both of which
seemed informative. Other informative testimony was presented
by a gent from Gartners and one from Cap Gemini, and a little
bit by two other consultants.

<< The more I hear, the more frightened I get, the more supplies I stash away, the more secure I feel. I've gone from about a 3 to close to an 8 since I started researching the problem last July. >>

I was perhaps not clear in the short answer you referenced - my thoughts followed the exact trail you mention below, but did not included the crucial "the more I prepare (for the uncertainites I've found), the confident I become." However, that is the exact "leap of faith" or "Lack of faith (self confidence)" that Bennett is NOT creating with his own short answer.

Wha the Clinton administration fails utterly to understand is that they are creating the distrust and fear by trying to pretend to the citizens that there is nothing to fear. (They have of course, completely forgotten that 35-45% of the people will absolutely not believe what they say anyway - and most of who will believe them wil require federal help under most conditions of troubles - because they would not prepare in the first place.

What Bennett forgets is the power of confidence in a person's own preparations - if he used your phrasing - encouraging people to become self-reliant for a period of 3 days to two weeks (or pick a different period) then Churchill's "blood, sweat, toil, and tears" would resonate and increase internal faith and hope.

Instead - he says "the more I study, the more I fear" - thus actually encouraging people to avoid the subject, and implying that the people to fear are those who study the subject, those who know something about the subject, and those who are preparing their lives to help their families. THIS IS OPPOSITE of what he wants people to understand, but it is what they will learn from his words.

Robert, I find your position unlikely. Maybe it's just me. I doubt
that people will back away from looking at this on the grounds that
they might be frightened. People have tended to pay a great deal of
attention to dangers when they believe those dangers are real.

In any case, learning about y2k is frightening for two primary
reasons:

1) There really are a lot of date bugs out there.

2) There really is no consensus as to what this will mean.

It's that second aspect that makes things scariest. We have
experience with natural disasters and economic downturns. But the
scope of y2k is limitless, the side effects cannot be detailed, our
information sources are not reliable, ignorance is vast and the
problems might be devastating. And might not.

If you tell people that something really awful might happen in the
next year, can't tell you exactly what it might be, can't even
promise that it will happen at all, but it might be the worst thing
anyone's ever been through, there's too much room for worry. So y'all
go right out and prepare for *something*, and if you guess right
you're in good shape, maybe.

If I recall correctly, Sen. Bennett made the "more informed"
comment in reference to some numbers, presented by the Cap
Gemini gent, which indicated that while USA companies were
perceived to be ahead, on average, of European companies, the
managements of the European companies expressed more
confidence in the probablility of their success in Y2K
remediation than the managementss of the USA companies.

I concur with Jerry. I appreciated Bennett's comment immediately, as
he was pointing out that US companies by and large had been working on
Y2K longer than European companies and the Euro companies were
expressing far greater confidence. he was saying in effect that the
deeper you get into Y2K work, the less confident you become.

Ignorance is bliss, unless you're ignoring a truck bearing down on
you.

My sense is that awareness is definitely increasing and that people
are quietly getting ready. Bennett's report and then this session re
International readiness have added energy to the process. Given that
chart that Marcoccio showed with the big ol' spike in problems
expected in June, we should expect the last 6 months of 1999 to be
chock full o' Y2K reality.

The few litmus tests that I use to guage awareness are all coming back positive.

One example, in the small (4000) town nearest me, I ran an add for 35 days last October seeking other to discuss Y2K and Preps. Got two calls. Last week one of the churches had something about Y2K on their billboard out front.

O agree with Old Git about not wanting to be in Bennets shoes.

Also argee withe Robert that the truth, now, would be infinitely better and in the long run save lives.

O.K. I've been waiting for someone else to bring this up. I thought
it was most interesting when the guy from Cap Gemini displayed the
numbers for "slippage". When it manifests itself, the failure rate
will increase to 30%. It struck me he was talking about all the
people who are making real headway. Then, later, when asked to
round-table about the presentations, the guy from the Gartner Group
reminded everyone about the "slippage" point and to remember its
impact. Sounded a whole lot less rosy when applied to figures quoted
that day. Still doesn't sound too good, folks.